LONDON GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5212, 20 March 1895, Page 2

LONDON GOSSIP.

• j [FEOM OUB SPECIAL COBBBBPONDKNT.] I London, Feb* 1. THB LAST OF 10 RD BANPOLPH. Now that Lord Randolph Churchill ba9 ; passed " beyond these voices," those who ; loved him— and, with all hia faults, they : were many-*-will blot out tbe memories of hiß end and think only cf his brilliant beginnings. Loyal to the last, the wreath , which Lady Randolph laid on the coffin bore the inscription, "From his ever-' admiring and loving wife." The hint is unmistakable. In effect it signifies, " I knew him at bia bent and at his worst, in sickness and in health, and I never ceased admiring him and loving him." The stately old Dowager Duchess of Marlborough, whose sons have (all but one) gone before her, wrote on the card accompanying a cross of arum lilies and lili«B of the valley, "To tho memory of my beloved boy from hia broken-hearted mother." The Prince of Wales, of course, sent a wreath, and the tributes from relatives and friends choked up tho long dining-room in Grouvenor Square. But besides Lady Randolph's and her son's wreaths, only one floral tribute found a place on the coffin itself. This was a bunch of violets from the old nurse who had watched over tho childhood of both Lord Randolph himself and hiß sons, Winston' and Jack. It was marked "From the boys' nurae," and Mr Winston Churchill laid it in the place of honour. Perhaps the wreath from outsiders which would have pleaeed the deceased moat, was one from Harrow School, brought up i by no less a functionary than the keadI maater himself. THB- rT7XERAL. Lord' Randolph Churchill was buried amidst snow and ice, in the severest weather' we have experienced this year. His aged mother was imperatively ordered not to leave the house, but ehe defied the doctorß, and though unable to walk, was wheeled up the aisle of Westminster Abbey in a closed bath chair. With her were five of the Bix daughters she has married bo well, viz., the Duchess of Roxburgbe, Lady Tweedmouth, Lady de Ramsey, Lady Wimborne and Lady Sarah Wilson. Lady Curzon, the young statesman's best beloved sister,, accompanied the widow and her boys to Woodstock and Blaydon. In the Abbey were such an aßsc-niblajre of political, social, sporting and theatrical notables as has seldom been seen there, the Premier and John Morley (political foes, but personal friends of the deceased), and Lord Salisbury a*d Mr Chaplin (political, rather than personal allies) jostled Henry Irving, " Johnny " Toole, turfites of all descriptions, and many Irish members. The huge building was crammed, and locked much the same as on tbe occasion of Tennyson's funeral, save that literature, science and art were indifferently represented. The Queen sent Colonel Carington and the Prince of Wales an equerry. The anthem wasGosßV'l Heard a Voixje," and the hymns " Book of Ages " and " Now the Labourer's Task ia O'er." In the latter the congregation joined heartily. The " Dead March in Saul " rolled it3 solemn thunders through the Abbey as the mourners dispersed, Lord Salisbury and Lord Bosebery beading tbe procession of dignitaries wno followed the clergy out. "~ BT THB GBAVESIDE. ' The corpse left Groavenor Square whilst snow lay thick and white on the London streets at 9 a.m., the widow and her two handsome lads and Lady Curzon occupying the first carriage. Then enmo the six noble brothers-in-law, a number of personal friends and the representatives of countks3 political bodies. Despite tho bitter cold and early hour Paddington Station presented an impressive sight, being densely crowded. The coffin was ot the American "casket" ebape, and only family wreatho being conveyed- in the hoaree, (tbe hundreds of others having been sent on beforehand, took but a short time to remove to tbe special train. It utarted at once, and through silent snow-clad couutry the remains of the brilliant, restless, excitable statesman — just one year younger than Pitt when be died— -were borne swiftly towards stately Blenheim. A brief stop at Oxford to pick up the Bishop, the Mayor and so forth, and then on to WoodBfcbck. Tbe first part of tbe service took place at the village church, after which the grim procession reformed, and drove through the grand old avenue of Blenheim Park to BlaydoTi. Hero by the graveside tbo Bishop* of Oxford concluded the service. The widow, supported bravely by the two young men, her eons, had (ao far as could be seen, fur her face was mercifnlly hidden by tho long crapo veil) borne the lengthy dismal ceremonies with fortitude, but at the dread wordß, "aslies to aahes, dustto dust," and the rattling of the earth on tho coffin, she faltered, and Winston Churchill hastened to support her. Tho weakness, however, proved but momentary. From beneath her cloak Lady Randolph produced a email clustor of lilies of the valloy, and these, after a last long kisa, she dropped upon the coffin. When the mourners had gone, the masses of hot-house blooms (dying fast in the nipping fro3t) were ranged, or, rather, piled around. One of the exquisite circlets bore this inscription: "With the affection of a life-long friendship from — Rosejjery." A PBOPHECT. A curious prophesy by Lord Randolph ia reported by the Times. After the i general election of 1885 he was asked what hia future career would be. He replied, "I shall lead the Opposition in the ! Houee for five yeara ; I 6hall be Prime Minister for five yeara ; and then I shall die." The last part of the prediction has been realised almost to the letter. THE KENSINGTON MURDER. The trial of Saunderson, the Holland Park homicide, has ended as everyone anticipated. Since his committal the priBonor has become a raving maniac, and has been placed in a straight waistcoat and confined in a padded room. He appeared in court extremely haggard and hollow-eyed, and in charge of three warders. The evidence of four doctors went to Bhow that since his confinement ho had been frequently subject to paroxysms I of madness, and that he was now in such | a hopeles3 condition of imbecility as to bo incapable of understanding, his position or the Court proceedings. Under the circumstances the jury found that Saunderson was 'not in a condition to plead, and Mr Justice Wills ordered the detention of the accused during her Majesty's pleasure. The prisoner ot once turned from the dock and walked briskly down the Bfcepß leading to the I cells, closely followed by the warders. The conduct of the prisoner, immediately pftor the murder of the woman Augusta Daweß, showed that hia act was motiveless. He was hiß own informer ; he talked about it to everyone he met; he wrote about it to tho police; he even spoke of crimes wbich only existed in his diseased imagination. Whether "the tragedy might have been averted by propsr vigilance and control on the part of hiß friends, io a moot point. But the moral of tho shocking business ia that it is aot comforting to reflect there may be scores of persons walking about or moving in society with an hereditary tendency to homicidal mania. MB MONSON AND MADAME TUS9AUD. 11l luck seeniß to attend all the actors in what has now\ come to be historically

kuoirn as "The Arfllamont Mystery.'* Tbe lateist outcome of that strange case was an actios brought by Mr Moneon againet Madame Tusaaud, of Waxwork and Chamber of Horrors, notomty, to. recover damages for the exhibition of his portrait model in her Bhow. It was not alleged on the plaintiff's behalf that the effigy itself was a caricature, a grievance which Many living celebrities night justly regard 88 a canse of astion, and ia enough to make the dead turn in their graves. Kbr did Moneon complain of the shady company in which the figure was placed. Tha libel, in his opinion, consisted in the fact that it was labelled "The Ardlamont Mystery " as tending to create a belief, notwithstanding the acquittal at the trial; that there was still some doubt as to the guilt of tha .accused. The defendnnt'» plea was that the exhibition of the waxen iinngo did not constitute a libel, as Mr MoDSon was a public character, and war more or lees a consenting party through the agency of a person named Tottenham, who, unfortunately for this version of the case, appeared in Court in charge of a prißon warder. After a long and exhaustive trial the jury awarded Mr Monson a '. farthing danaageß, and of course, the obnoxious waxen image will now either be melted down and served up in a new form, or, at'tt-r the manner of Artemus Ward, may, with a few slight changes in . the physiognomy and make-up, be utilised .' for some other modern celebrity. The BtrikiDg point of the case is that it seems •■ to be established that a libel in wax is as , bad as in print. Our law of libel is in fact so elastic, so fin© in its meaheß, that there is little even ia the form of an inuendo ; that can escape the net. Luckily juries can temper the rigours of the law by ; awarding merely technical damagep r which. ; carry with them a suggestion of contempt. There is also something in the ironical plea of the counsel for the defendant that if the mere exhibition of a waxen effigy is : to be construed as a libel, some of the ; cheap illustrated papers would run serious ! rißks. ' , I THE PATEBNMJY CABB OVCE MODE. i The importunate widow of the nine- ; teonth century is a title to which no one I will dispute the right of Mrs Thompson of j •' The Strange Australian Paternity Case " j fame. Some time ago her appearances at Court so hindered the progress of justice in other case's, that the Master of the Bollsgave strict orders that Mrß Thompson I should be kept on the wrong side of the j door of hiß court. But the ruje being rej laxed, Mrs Thompson- faced his lordßhip ; once again on Monday, and, having; handed up to him a portentous roll, whioh she called "my hafferdavy,"' the usual colloquy 'twixt Bench and woman began. The Master looked grimes he asked "What is it you want?" With lightning speed MrsTnompsonreplied, '"I want acoeestomy children. Xou have made an order that my two children should be given to a man ; no man has a right to tbe custody of them unless 'eia my 'vkßband." "Do you wisn to say that thia court gave a wrong judgment P" inquired the' master quietly. "Fes," snapped the lady, "Umph !. That'sjust what 1 thought you were going tosay," commented his lordship with an illrepressed grin. "I want access to my children," quoth Mrs T., to whioh remark the Master made the stale reply,. "We< have no -jurisdiction." This particular sentence lias always affeoted the "lady litigant's" temper. It is the "red. rag to a bull" with her, and on its utterance she always gives way to vituperation. On Monday ehe turned on his lordship thuß; " You aro a nasty, cruel old man (\W>th deliberation and much emphasis). It is only spite. and revenge on your pare, because you havo treated me so badlj, but (crescendo, and shaking her fist at iha judge) I can have revenge on you." The Master : .- " You say that if" Mrs T. (iratel?) :•• Yes ; Ido say . that I" Tha Master :. "We shall aee what the consequences will be." Mrs T. (getting madder) : "You — you are » wicked,, wicked, old man; you— (toarfuUy)r-Bay that I'm mad." The Master (with evident sincerity): "I hope you are." Mra T. (recovering) : •'! know you do* you would like to dnvo me-into the Thames or out of my mind. Now Til. g0 to Windsor Castle and see if anyone will atop, me there." And ao saying she whisked • out of the court, crying loudly ob- ehe went, ",I'H have my spite and revenge of the judge— you see if I don't!" Tho appearances of Mra TLocupsoa at the Courts of Appeal and elsewhere have become suoh a nuisance, that the Judges held a meeting later in the day to consider the best means of dealing with the lady's interference with the progress of business. What* they decided to do bas not tranßpired, but the simplest remedy would seem to be to inatruct tho ccurb janitors to refuse admittance to Mrs Thompson Altogether. The woman may be mad, but there ia a good deal of method in her madness. She contrives to dreßß decently and to thrive physically on the sympathy her caae evokes amongst, a certain set of kindly old souls.